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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Three days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at over 24 locations in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Ranchi, and Patna in connection with its probe into alleged land for job scam.
The financial probe agency sleuths swung into action on Friday morning and carried out searches at the premises of former RJD MLA Syed Abu Dojana in Patna’s Phulwarisharif area.
According to ED sources, Dojana, who is a former RJD MLA from Sitamarhi’s Sursand is said to be the owner of Dojana construction and is considered close to Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad.
Dojana is also said to be handling the construction of the One Mall in Patna’s Bailey road.
The construction was stopped after the probe into the case began.
The ED also carried out searches at the premises of several close aides and associates of Lalu Prasad in Delhi-NCR, Ranchi, and Mumbai.
In Jharkhand’s Ranchi, the ED is carrying out searches at the premises of RS Naik, a Chartered Accountant.
The fresh searches came after the CBI on Tuesday questioned Lalu Prasad Yadav for over five hours in connection with the case and his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Monday this week.
A Delhi court has also summoned Lalu Prasad, the former Railway Minister, his wife, and several others in connection with the case on March 15.
Lalu Prasad had gone to Singapore for a kidney transplant last year in December and returned to India in the third week of February. His daughter Rohini Acharya has donated her kidney to Lalu Prasad, who is also a former Bihar Chief Minister.
He is currently out on bail in the fodder scam case.
The government had recently given its nod to prosecute Lalu in connection with the land for job scam case earlier this year.
In October last year, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Lalu, Rabri Devi, and Misa Bharti in connection with the land for job scam case.
The agency has also named 13 more accused in its charge sheet.
According to CBI sources, during the investigation carried out so far and during the agency searches in August last year, the CBI recovered over 200 sale deeds.
A source said that many candidates would have given their land to get jobs
The source claimed that CBI’s initial investigation showed the identification of 12 such candidates who got jobs when Lalu Prasad Yadav was Railway Minister between 2004 to 2009.
The source further said that its probe so far revealed that Bhola Yadav, then OSD of Lalu Prasad Yadav was persuading the engagement of various substitute candidates in Group D with the concerned railway authorities.
Bhola Yadav was arrested last year by the CBI.
The source said that Bhola Yadav was instrumental in the finalization and execution of land deals relevant to the case.
The source said that during the probe it was also revealed that Bhola Yadav was collecting applications from various candidates for engagement as substitutes in Group D at Camp Office Of Minister Of Railway Residence Lalu Yadav and Rabri Yadav at 10 Circular Road in Patna.
The source further stated that during police custody of Bhola Yadav, certain critical documents were recovered which are crucial for the investigation.
The named candidates though residents of Patna during the period 2004-09 were appointed as substitutes in different zones of Railway Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hajipur, and in lieu of that their family members transferred their land in the name of family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav and a company AK Infosystem.
Subsequently, AK Infosystem was taken over by family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav, the source said.
Thereof 1,05,292 square feet of land in Patna was acquired by family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav through two gift deeds and five sale deeds
“In most of sale deeds seller was mentioned to have paid in cash,” the source added.
CBI had registered a fresh case against Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, his other daughter Hema Yadav and others in May this year.
The CBI had also carried out searches at multiple locations in Delhi, Patna, Gopalganj, Gurugram, and others in connection with the case in May last year after registering a fresh case.
